£1 million to help transform care for people with Diabetes

17/11/2017

Care for patients with diabetes in East Berkshire is transforming for the better thanks to recent funding.

Following a successful bid to NHS England, The Frimley Health Sustainability Transformation Partnership*, which incorporates the three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in East Berkshire, has been awarded £1 million this year to improve care and treatment for patients with Diabetes. The CCGs are responsible for commissioning or 'buying' healthcare and wellbeing services for the people of Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead and Bracknell.

The £1 million will be spent in the following ways:

Provide patients diagnosed with diabetes with easy access educational courses helping them to better manage their own health. As of 1 October, all newly diagnosed diabetes patients will be referred to a new single referral 'hub' which will support them in finding the most appropriate education programme. Additionally, we will be contacting patients who have been referred but not taken the opportunity to access the programme in the past, to provide further support and guidance on what options are available.

Support GP practices to help patients earlier through the early detection and treatment of diabetes. This will also help GP practices to achieve their National Diabetes Audit and targets relating to diabetes

Reduce the number of foot amputations in our patients with diabetes by bringing together a multidisciplinary foot care team. This team is now operational and brings together experts from different specialities at regular intervals to review patients with diabetes who have specific foot care issues. GPs can also refer patients who are in need of specialist help into the service by calling a dedicated phone line

Increase the number of Inpatient Diabetes Specialist Nurses within secondary care to support patients whilst in hospital, reducing their length of stay and helping to prevent readmission. Recruitment is underway and we hope to be providing a 7 day inpatient service by early next year

Dr Nithya Nanda, East Berkshire CCGs Diabetes lead, said: "The NHS England funding to East Berkshire and North East Hants and Farnham CCGs will go a long way in transforming diabetic foot care by way of reducing amputations and achieve better control of Diabetes and Hypertension to reduce long term life threatening complications for our patients. Part of the £1 million funding will also be used to improve patient experience of managing their diabetes when admitted to hospital and also start empowering patients for self-management and self-care with necessary structure education."

He concluded: "This is all very exciting news for our local residents."

In addition, the East Berkshire CCGs are working with Diabetes UK to provide support in training Diabetes Community Champions.

The role of the champions will be to work as a volunteer within their local community to promote the services that are being provided for patients with diabetes and to encourage those patients to make the best lifestyle choices for managing their condition. They will run engagement events in the community to raise awareness and direct patients appropriately to health services. The project will be piloted in Slough with a view to roll out across our partnership footprint once evaluated.

*The Frimley Health and Care Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) is one of 44 partnerships set up across the country to deliver the 'Five Year Forward View's' vision of better health, better patient care and improved efficiency. The Frimley STP serves the residents of North East Hampshire and Farnham, Surrey Heath and East Berkshire.

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